Thursday, October 08, 2009

Warning: The following subject matter may not be suitable for all voters.

OTTAWA — Michael Ignatieff insisted Wednesday he has no plan to raise taxes, denying a report that he's about to embark on a politically risky "adult conversation" with Canadians about the painful measures necessary to eliminate the country's ballooning deficit.

While I tend to agree that a promise of raising taxes might not be the wisest strategy, what does it say about the state of our political system when party leaders have to deny reports that they're going to treat the voters like adults?

Iggy is responding to reports that were fed by people from his own party. There is no caucus discipline they cannot issue a press statement coherently.

It should be clear even to bitter partisans now that the Libs. are in no position to govern. They are in disarray and should retreat from their positon that they have lost confidence in the government. There is growing evidence that it is the Liberals that have lost the confidence not only of the Canadian people but its grassroots members.

Its about time someone start talking to Canadians like adults. Iggy should be cannonized for his heroic to decision to scrap the way he's been talking to Canadians for the last 5 years and start talking to us like adults.

I hate to say it... but maybe we should have an election soon... + though I won't be voting for them... maybe it would be good (in the long term) if the Conservatives get a majority...

(1) People can finally wake up to how awful they are... because it's a lot harder to pretend everything isn't your fault when you're 100% in control.

(2) The Liberals would get 3+ years of time to focus on putting together a real package that they can sell to voters + completely re think the way their organization works.

Politics in this country is really starting to get depressing... I HATE HATE HATE Harper... but honestly we aren't getting anywhere with the way things are right now... all of the parties are spending all of their time positioning themselves for an election that could happen at any time and 0% of their time crafting well thought out policy.

"In the federal election of 1974, Stanfield ran on a policy of wage and price controls to help inhibit the rapid inflation of the era. Trudeau mocked the idea, saying that one couldn't say, "Zap! You're frozen!" to the economy. Trudeau later wrote in his memoirs that Stanfield's platform allowed him to be sniped at from all directions. After regaining a majority government...Trudeau would implement the controls in 1975, drawing widespread criticism for the abrupt reversal."

Any discussion of austerity will bring out every possible special interest group to criticize it.

Since 1968, no PM has been required to be a good steward of the public purse to win an election.

Stanfield, Clark, and Dion (and his Carbon Tax) lost elections discussing austerity. And remember, 1. Harper beat deficit-killer Martin because he promised to cut the GST, and 2. Chretien promised to eliminate the GST in 1993.

Talk of Austerity may be what is required and what adults talk about, but it is not what will help the Liberals end the Harper regime.

Awesome comment, Merboy! This is what Canada needs to see. They need to see how much we hate Harper and then they'll start asking why they don't hate Harper as much as we do. then they'll realize they do hate Harper like we hate Harper. Then, we'll win a majority!

Mafias need a 1st world tax base to tax avoid, Jon. And last election it was Liberals who had their brake lines cut; CPC didn't say a fuckin word about this.

MERBOY, Liberals ran $10B year surpluses and added a quality-of-life improving programme every few years, thus our rise to top of world's UN Index (are we still in top 10?). Cons look set to run a $25B/yr structural deficit once recession ends. So a four year CPC term, assuming Clinton/Chretein growth rates (while paying down their respective fed debts), takes a decade to recover from. Not a good tradeoff IMO; after a decade people will forget Harper/Flaherty deficits.

Maybe Robert Vollman should volunteer a little pledge of loyalty to Michael Ignatieff and Team Liberal before he starts calling people out.

It is not our fault that we've read every page of every Ignatieff book ever written and feel a tingle just thinking about each reference to himself he makes in those books. Even in the fiction where all the characters are talking about the latest Ignatieff piece in The Guardian or whatever.

It is not our fault if we dare to dream. Dream Big. Dream Humungous. Dream Guarantuan. Dream Collosal for Canada.

You, Robert Vollman, in your dreams, Canada is paralyzed, wanting to run, commanding the body to run, but something won't let it. And Canada is being chased by a monster but it can't move.

In our dreams, Canada runs for the roses, scores a triple crown and eventually becomes some of the finest glue the folks at Eylmer every made.

I think most Canadians see Harpy as a self-centered, uncompromising individual, but don't yet know what to think about Ignatieff. Canadians have only heard of the Opposition Leader who wants an election. All Ignatieff needs is a sustained effort to get his message out and the Liberals will be fine. We would have had this effort by unleashing ad spending in a campaign. Without that, it will take a while longer for the average Canadian to get to know how great he really is (in spite of the internal Liberal Party gowing pains any new leader needs to adjust to). Once they do, the choice between him and Harpy will be an easy one.